The police department of an Illinois village reported its response to an emergency when a landscape worker suffered workplace injuries. Officers from the village’s public safety department also rushed to the scene to attend to the worker who suffered a head injury. According to an incident report, it was a construction-related accident that occurred on a recent Wednesday.
Authorities say the injured man was a member of a landscaping crew who was planting large palm trees. Under the circumstances yet to be determined, one tree fell over, striking the worker against his neck and head. Reportedly, it was suspected that the worker suffered cardiac arrest after the tree hit him, and paramedics rushed him to a medical facility.
His condition was said to be critical at the time. Authorities could not say whether the injured man wore personal protective equipment such as a hard hat, which is mandatory for work of this nature. It is unclear whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration received notice of this workplace accident.
Any worker who suffers a neck and head injury could have long-term health consequences. Along with hospital bills, there might be the costs of extensive physical therapy that could add to mounting medical expenses, not to mention the loss of income during that time. Fortunately, most Illinois workers are covered by the state-regulated workers’ compensation system. Navigating a benefits claim at such a challenging time might be daunting, but an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can assist with the legal and administrative steps to obtain the benefits to which the injured worker is entitled.
